Chief of Korean physicians' group faces backlash after uploading 'racist' comments about Somalian doctors

Lim Hyun-taek, president of the Korea Medical Association (KMA), a group of about 130,000 Korean physicians, has come under fire after uploading a controversial picture on his social media page. 

Lim posted a picture featuring the Class of 2008 medical graduates from Somalia's Benadir University holding their diplomas after becoming the first doctors produced in Somalia in over two decades, with a comment "Coming Soon" on his Facebook page on Wednesday.

While some comments voiced support for Lim's criticism of the government's plan, Lim's latest post elicited strong backlash from others denouncing the comment as racist.

Internet users expressed concerns that naming a specific country and mocking its medical graduates could be interpreted as discriminatory.

Negative reactions also surfaced across online communities, with some arguing that competent Somali doctors could provide better care than Korean doctors, while others criticized Lim for demeaning qualified Somali professionals.

"What's wrong with Somali doctors? That sounds like a racist remark," a user commented. "They are likely to be more capable and have better character than Lim."

It doesn't matter if the doctor is white or black, as increasing the number of doctors can only be beneficial for the Korean people, she wrote.

The user further added that what matters is the doctors' attitude and skills in treating patients.

Lim's post is interpreted as an attack on the government's recently announced plan to allow foreign doctors to practice.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare had previously announced a plan to allow foreign medical license holders to practice medicine in Korea during the "severe" stage of the healthcare crisis on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Wednesday that it has put the "Amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Medical Service Act" to this effect to a prior legislative notice and will collect opinions until May 20.

After this news broke, Lim made a Facebook post asking where the chartered planes had gone and said that the government was stooping down to the level of importing doctors from developing countries.

The comments appeared to mock a statement made by Park Min-soo, the Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, in March, when he said, "If there are no doctors left on site, we will even arrange chartered flights to treat patients."

Meanwhile, the Somali medical graduates that Lim posted refers to 20 doctors trained in Somalia for the first time in 18 years.

Despite the country's ongoing civil war, these graduates persevered through adversity, attending classes in dangerous conditions, including mortar shelling and gunfire in Mogadishu.

Tragically, two students were killed by stray bullets on their way to school. Their resilience and determination garnered international recognition from media outlets like NPR, San Diego Union-Tribune, and AP.